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Put your coat on and enjoy the real world

Is it another depressing economic indicator or a welcome sign that credit-crunch society is coming to its senses at last? Whatever the reason, as the recessionary noose tightens, the developing science of "happiness" is taking off. A year or two ago we had Richard (Lord) Layard's treatise on the subject.

Shortly afterwards, William Bird published his research on the physical and mental health benefits of the outdoors.

Then, only 10 days ago, an authoritative report from Foresight, the government think tank, championed the "wellbeing" value of, among other things, conversations with friends, a good walk and the daily contemplation of nature.

There is nothing new under the sun, of course. John Ruskin, William Wordsworth, Andrew Marvell, Shakespeare, the ancient Greeks all promised the liberation of the soul by means of communing with nature, often with friends. At the National Trust we have 3.6m members who swear by it, with an